Some of the late-flowering plants, like dahlias, are at their best right now. This post contains a good helping of eye candy, so be forewarned.

My favorite nursery has an impressive field of dahlias behind the greenhouse. They sell cut flowers and they also offer a cut-your-own option. It was interesting to see which flowers attracted pollinators. The pink dahlia in the above photo was covered in honey bees, while many others didn’t have a single one.

With dahlias, there is something for everyone. Some are demure, like this white-flowered plant.

Others are more in your face.

Despite the grayness of the sky, the blooms lit up the space. I was alone with thousands of dahlias, exclaiming to no one about how striking they were. I do not grow these plants, because I have never been able to store the tubers over the winter. They always seemed to rot no matter how dry the storage area, so I gave up.

Another planting. This makes me want to drive over there right now and cut a huge bunch.